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Mothers face workplace discrimination (10th August, 2013)

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.	More than one	a.	promoted
2.	according to	b.	without children
3.	before and after	c.	a survey
4.	a waste	d.	giving birth
5.	not being	e.	in four
6.	moving faster up the	f.	less useful
7.	being considered	g.	of time
8.	colleagues	h.	career ladder

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.	employers disagree	a.	use all women's talents
2.	We don't recognise the picture	b.	leave
3.	businesses are better	c.	to the shop floor
4.	maternity	d.	painted here
5.	making sure that businesses	e.	the issues
6.	from boardroom	f.	with the survey
7.	employers avoided	g.	in the sand
8.	buried their heads	h.	than ever

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

(1) ___________________ British mothers who returned to work feel discriminated against, (2) ___________________ from a legal firm. Researchers asked 1,975 women about their work experiences before and after giving birth. Most of the women (3) ___________________ as they suspected it would be a waste of time and (4) ___________________. Mothers complained about (5) ___________________ and of junior employees moving faster up the career ladder. Another common complaint was their ideas being considered (6) ___________________ those of colleagues without children.

Many managers and employers (7) ___________________ survey. A British industry association said: "We don't recognise (8) ___________________ here. Our experience is that…businesses are better than ever at managing maternity leave and reintegrating mothers (9) ___________________." A politician said the government is (10) ___________________ businesses use all women's talents "throughout the organisation,  (11) ___________________ the shop floor". Lawyer Kiran Daurka was shocked that women did not talk about discrimination. She said employers (12) ___________________ and buried their heads in the sand.

DISCRIMINATION SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about discrimination in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

• Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.

• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

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Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

Write about discrimination for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

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